Isaiah 15-17

Map of Moab and surrounds (click to enlarge)

Isaiah 15-17 – to be discussed December 1
Day 1: Read Isaiah 15:1-4 (with footnotes 1a, 2b) Bible Dictionary entry, “Moab” Bible Dictionary entry, “High Places”
1. Read the Bible Dictionary entry, “Moab.” From whom were these neighbors of Judah descended?


2. The phrase, “in the night,” is used twice in Isaiah 15:1 to describe how two Moabite cities would be laid waste. If “in the night” means suddenly, or without warning, how is the destruction of Moab a “type” of Christ’s Second Coming?


3. Read the Bible Dictionary entry, “High Places.” Why were the Moabites ripe for destruction?


BONUS: What are our “high places” today?


Day 2: Read Isaiah 15:5-9 (with footnotes 5b,c, 7a)
Note: The names in Isaiah 15:5-9 refer to cities and geographical landmarks in Moab. See a simple map of Moab on the class blog: http://ifestudyguides.blogspot.com.
4. What kind of destruction is described in Isaiah 15:4-5?*


5. What kind of destruction is described in Isaiah 15:6-7?


6. What would become of those who escaped the destructive forces in Moab?**


Day 3: Read Isaiah 16:1-5 (with footnotes 1a, 3a, 4a)
7. Using the footnote to Isaiah 16:1a, to whom would Moab appeal?


8. Find the river Arnon on map 10 in your Bible Appendix (C-6 through D-7). The Arnon was a major river and part of Moab’s northern border. Why were the daughters of Moab like “a wandering bird cast out of the nest”?


9. Read the footnotes to Isaiah 16:3a and 4a. Isaiah 16:3-5 contains Moab’s appeal to Judah for refuge. How might these verses foreshadow the pleas of the wicked during the destruction preceding the Lord’s Millennial reign?


Day 4: Read Isaiah 16:6-11 (with footnote 6a)
10. What was Judah’s reply to Moab’s appeal? List the sins of Moab from Isaiah 16:6.


11. Isaiah 16:7-11 is written using the Hebrew poetry form inverted parallelism, or chiasmus. Compare Isaiah 16:7-8 with Isaiah 16:9-11. List common phrases or concepts.


12. Regardless of the locations of all the Moabite sites listed in Isaiah 16:7-11, what is the overall feeling regarding the fate of Moab? If Moab represents pride and idol worship in the world, what is the message from the Lord through Isaiah?


Day 5: Read Isaiah 16:12-14, Amos 2:1-3
13. To whom would the Moabites turn for help in their distress? How much help would they find?


14. Read Amos 2:1-3, another burden of Moab. What do you think it means that Moab would die “with tumult… and with the sound of the trumpet”?


15. How long did the Moabites have before destruction (in the form of Assyrians) would arrive (v.14)?


Day 6: Read Isaiah 17:1-8 (with footnotes 1a, 3a, 6a, 7b), Bible Dictionary entry, “Damascus”
16. Damascus was the capital of Syria, a northern neighbor of Israel. What was to become of Syria during Isaiah’s lifetime? (See Bible Dictionary entry, “Damascus.”) Who was Syria’s ally? (See footnote 3a.)


17. From the institute manual: “Gleaning grapes” ( v. 6 ) are those few missed by the harvesters, and olives were harvested by shaking the branches, which always left a few scattered fruits in the topmost branches (see v. 6 ). Are these verses talking about fruit or people?


18. Read the Bible Dictionary entry, “Grove.” What was the big problem in Israel and Syria? From Isaiah 17:7, what would the devastations cause Israel to do? (See footnote 7b.)


BONUS: Read Genesis 49:22, Jacob’s blessing to Joseph (father of Ephraim). How might this blessing be reflected in Isaiah 17:6-7?


Day 7: Read Isaiah 17:9-14 (with footnotes 10a,e, 12a)
19. Isaiah 17:9-11 provides agricultural metaphors. The “strange slips” in v. 10 indicate Israel has forgotten Jehovah and instead grafted into their “pleasant plants” the false gods of their heathen neighbors. What kind of harvest might they expect?


20. Isaiah 17:12-14 contains another “burden” or message of doom to the Assyrian empire. What words or phrases from these verses describe the power of the Assyrian army?


21. What would happen to this powerful force, according to Isaiah 17:13-14? (Note: The “rolling thing” in v.13 describes a tumble weed.)

From the Institute Manual:
*(14-19) Isaiah 15:5 . What Was Meant by Moab Being a Heifer of Three Years Old? Isaiah recognized that Moab was a youthful, vibrant nation. “A three-year-old ox, is one that is still in all the freshness and fulness of its strength” (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 7:1:326). In spite of Moab’s vigor and strength, Isaiah foretold that powerful forces from the north countries would destroy her only three years hence (see Isaiah 16:14 ). This prophecy was fulfilled with the Assyrian invasion under Sennacherib (see Enrichment F ).
**(14-20) Isaiah 15:8–9 . Moab’s Destruction Was UniversalThe cry of destruction of Moab is universal, even beyond her borders to Eglaim (En-Eglaim) northwest of the Salt Sea. To show the extent of the tragedy that Moab would experience, Isaiah prophesied that the heart of the rich pastoral land around Dibon would have its waters (called Dimon) stained with the blood of the people. In other words, there would be widespread slaughter and destruction of the people, the enemy penetrating even the very heart of Moab. In the Hebrew text, the word translated “lion” is actually a single lion. Isaiah revealed that the relationship of Judah and Moab would change, for the “lion,” Judah, would come upon the remnant of Moab that was spared and make them her vassal.